Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $737 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,204 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,672 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Caraguatatuba is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$6.90 R$34.55

-48.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$26.11 R$131

25.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$6.62 R$33.12

-25.23%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.75 R$8.75

54.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.06 R$5.29

26.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.76 R$3.81

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.84 R$9.19

58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.78 R$13.89

42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.88 R$4.41

105.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.47 R$7.34

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.19 R$5.95

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.69 R$8.45

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$5.47 R$27.39

168.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$2.98 R$14.89

44.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$7.08 R$35.43

71.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.84 R$9.21

108.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.66 R$8.33

-6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.36 R$6.81

108.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.72 R$8.61

35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.15 R$5.77

66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.69 R$3.44

218.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.66 R$3.31

53.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.67 R$3.37

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$1.78 R$8.92

86.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$7.09 R$35.49

234.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.37 R$6.88

103.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.08 R$10.41

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.93 R$4.64

-70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$20.52 R$103

-60.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.06 R$5.31

-56.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.62 R$3.08

-27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$3.25 R$16.29

87.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.06 R$5.33

-25.47%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$13.9K R$69.6K

88.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$27.1K R$135.7K

18.41%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$51.7 R$259

54.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$11.52 R$57.6

-64.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$20.75 R$104

13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$19.48 R$97.5

406.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$14.15 R$70.8

-53.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$7.33 R$36.70

-43.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$304 Rp 5.4M

$198 R$991

53.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$3,829 R$19.2K

72.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$51.5 R$258

7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$56.2 R$281

-31.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$71.4 R$357

24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$52.6 R$263

48.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$371 R$1,857

171.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$207 R$1,037

225.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$770 R$3,853

347.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$476 R$2,383

328.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,575 R$7,880

80.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,153 R$5,770

96.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$330 R$1,654

-49.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.15

62.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caraguatatuba pays 100% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $162 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ubud, Bali vs Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Caraguatatuba earns 100% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $737 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Caraguatatuba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.